Part 1
Me and Ayumu look at each other, none of us knowing what to say at the bomb dropped at us
"W-what?"
Ayumu stammers while looking at Liliana with wide eyes
The silver haired girl shakes her head with a slight tremble to her shoulders
"Before I joined the battle with you in Kyoto I visited Aiura-san and Saiki-san, while I was there-"
"Wait, you know Aiura and Saiki?"
It's my turn to ask bewildered and Liliana nods
"Y-yes, it was Kusuke-san who made these for me..."
She says pointing at her jewelry
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you but... he was the one who asked me to keep it a secret untill he could reveal it to you."
"That does sound like him..." - Ayumu mutters and I shake my head
"I-it's fine, I was just surprised, then what happened?"
Liliana places a hand on her forehead and keeps talking
"While I was there the Caretaker showed up."
That single sentence sends a shiver down my spine and from the corner of my eye I see Ayumu shake as well
"No... b-but you said Kusuo-san was..."
Liliana nods with a terrified expression
"He stood up to the Caretaker, they were preparing to fight and then after a while I didn't had any news from them."
She looks at the device on her hand with a regretful expression
I... thought he was going to win or at least drive him away I wasn't expecting him to... how?"
I look at Liliana probably looking as incredulous as she is
"They are asking me to come and see them... do you two wanna come?"
She asks us and I nod while looking at Ayumu
"Of course! Let's go!"
Ayumu nods along with me and Liliana wipes the tears that were starting to gather in her eyes as she summons a teleportation circle and takes us to Aiura and Kusuo-san's place
Part 2
"Liliana!"
As soon as we arrived in the cozy looking house a tanned woman with blonde hair rushed towards Liliana, only to stop as she realized we were also there.
"Oh... hello, Ayumu-chan, Tatseyo-kun"
I awkwardly wave at her
"Hello, Aiura-san, we heard from Liliana what happened and we wanted to see how you were... doing"
I say and immediately regreat afterwards, her husband just disappeared! How the hell do you think she is?!
Aiura-san shakes her head, a deeply sad expression on her face
"Thank you both of you, but... I don't know how to feel, I never expected this to happen... not to Kusuo..."
I gulp down hearing this, not sure how to answer, thankfully Liliana takes the initiative
"I'm really sorry about it Aiura, but are you sure that he was the one who was captured? Maybe he defeated the Caretaker and is now trying to track down Kuriko"
Aiura immediately shoots down that possibility with a firm headshake
"No, he would never disappear like that without warning and also, I saw it."
Liliana furrows her brow, I also frow confused
"Saw it?" - She asks and Aiura nods
"With my crystal ball, during the fight I couldn't really see anything, but after it was over, for a few minutes I saw it... my Kusuo, spread on the ground as Kuriko took him and the Caretaker with her."
My eyes wide when this information reaches me.
"So she did take him... why?"
I hear Liliana ask and Kusuke clicks his tongue, his face looks uncharacteriscally angry
"Because she knows he's one of the few people who can put a stop to her plans... but the good news is that she captured him, which means she doesn't want him dead"
Aiura grimaces at this statement, of course, what woman would like to think about her daughter killing their husband in cold blood? But Kusuke-san is right, thanfully Kuriko didn't kill Kusuo-san.
"Do you think she will... do anything to him?"
I voice my worries, causing the others to look at me
"Let's hope not, I'm currently trying my best to track them down, I'm trying to sweep every corner of the earth and sea. The Esper Association has been warned too of course, they are looking for her anywhere..."
"What?! The Association too?"
I ask concerned and Kusuke-san waves his hand
"Yeah, don't worry, they don't know anything about our agreement with the supernatural forces... yet"
Kusuke-san says worried before pausing for a moment
"The issue is that the damn girl may not even be on earth anymore, might even be hiding in another dimension!"
I frown as I look to him, but Ayumu is quicker to answer
"You mean she could be in space?!"
She exclaims and Kusuke nods with a bitter expression
"Yes, and with the amount of effort she seems to be putting into avoiding us I wouldn't be surprised."
We all look worried towards him
"And what would we in that case?"
He shakes his head
"Unfortunately all we can do is stay on our guard and hope that we'll catch her eventually." - He says giving Aiura's shoulder a reassuring squeeze
I frown at this statement
"S-so that's it? There's nothing we can do?"
Both Aiura and Kusuke look bitterly away from me
"We would tell you if there was kid, but Kuriko is smart, now that she knows we're tracking her it'll become even harder to tell where she is. Fuck..."
He curses under his breath while Aiura-san slouches over the table, staring at an empty crystal ball.
Liliana approaches Aiura and places a hand on her shoulder
"Don't worry Aiura-san, we'll solve this. We'll get Kuriko, Kusuo-san will come back."
Suddenly, a sharp, mocking voice echoed in my mind.
{This child of mine, Kuriko, is smart and cunning. I cannot wait to meet her and give my personal thanks for my freedom}
I take a step back and place a hand on my head.
The Crimson King.
His whispers twisted through my thoughts, praising Kuriko and her role in awakening him. My vision blurred, and I gritted my teeth, shaking my head violently.
"Tatseyo?" Liliana's concerned voice broke through the haze.
"The Crimson King, I think he... just tried to talk to me."
Both girls stood up and approached me
"Oh no, Tatseyo, are you alright?" - Ayumu asked as Liliana helped me stay on my feet.
I steadied myself, grimacing, a dreadful idea I do not want to be true flourishing in my head.
"Yes... I'm fine, but... could Kusuo's kidnapping be related to the Crimson King?"
Liliana's eyes widened.
"It... it might be."
Kusuke and Aiura exchanged confused glances.
"Who is the Crimson King?" - Aiura asked.
Liliana sighed, motioning for them to sit.
"Sit down, believe me, this will change how you see everything."
What followed was an exhausting recount of everything that had happened in Kyoto, the Crimson King's awakening, the flashback Issei saw while he was in my head, the Caretaker's role in all of this and how Liliana managed to force him back, even though we don't know for how long. When we finished, Aiura sat in stunned silence.
"A deity that created espers?" - She whispered.
"That's... impossible."
Kusuke, meanwhile, looked as though he was trying to solve a centuries-long mystery, his eyes focused in nowhere in particular.
"Kusuke-san? Are you alright?" - Liliana asked
But without answering Kusuke snapped his fingers, startling us.
"So that's what she meant!"
"What are you talking about?" - I asked, confused and taken aback by his sudden action
Kusuke leaned forward, his voice filled with realization.
"I was the one who initiated Kuriko in the scientific community, yes, her accomplishments are amazing, some even greater than what I did, but despite her amazing dance I was the one who taught her the moves!"
He says with a lot of pride in his voice, causing all three of us to look confused towards him
"Ok... what does that have to do with this?"
I ask and Kusuke nods
"Untill a couple of years ago, when Kuriko out of nowhere decided that she wanted to pursue something that I never really cared about: Archeology and Paleontropology. That was the time when we split up and she started doing her own thing!"
He says, poiting at a picture of Kuriko on the wall holding some kind of award for discovering a fossil or something, I don't really know...
"Oh yes, I remember those times, she was going all over the world, doing all sorts of things, but she always teleported back here... every week."
Aiura-san says with a sad smile on her face
Kusuke-san looks at her with a concerned expression, but shakes his head before continuing
"There were times when we'd spend months without talking to each other... untill one day she called me and told me one thing..."
He taps the table as if to emphasize his point
"The future of the Esper Community wasn't in constant advancement but in looking back to our past."
He stops, looking at us with a smile on his face
"I didn't understand what she meant by that back then, but now... now I get it."
Liliana and I exchanged a glance.
"A-are you saying that Kuriko's reasearch could be related to her plans?" - I asked.
Kusuke-san nodded.
"It might. After all, you told us that it all started way back when our ancestors were still in caves, right? I'll gather everything I can about her archeological work and send it to you. But be cautious. Whatever she's planning, it's bigger than any of us."
He pulls out a device from his pocket
"You three wait here, I promise it won't take too long"
And without waiting for an answer he disappears, leaving me, Ayumu and Liliana alone with Aiura-san
She looks at me for a moment before giving me a long glance
"W-what? Is there something wrong?"
I ask, slightly uncomfortable.
Truth be told I'm not very close to Kuriko's family, we've met each other occasionaly during events of the esper community and because of my parents, but since Kuriko doesn't really have friends I've never grow close to them like Ayumu did to my parents. Actually, now that I think about it, this is my first time in their house as well.
Aiura-san shakes her head.
"Sorry, I am just... a little bewildered that's all. So this... god of espers, he's currently living inside of you? Is it giving you any trouble?"
Aiura asked, her tone hesitant as she gestured vaguely toward me.
"The Crimson King?" - I guessed and was proven right when she nodded
I rubbed the back of my neck.
"I feel fine, mostly. Aside from him whispering in my head earlier, I don't think he can do much. I hope he can't..."
Aiura nodded thoughtfully but didn't seem convinced. Her attention shifted to Liliana.
"Do you remember what I told you during your last visit?"
Liliana's eyes widened.
"The dark figure in your crystal ball... could that have been a warning about the Crimson King?"
Aiura nodded solemnly.
"It makes sense now."
I furrow my eyebrows and Ayumu also frowns when she hears this
"You've been here before all of this happened?"
Liliana looks back at us
"Oh... yes, sometimes I drop by to get a reading from Aiura or just to check how things are going."
Ayumu looks surprised for a moment before answering
"So you are really close with the Saiki family?"
Liliana nods
"Oh yeah, we... well, when I was still looking all over the world for an answer about who... about what I am, I heard about Kusuke-san, I heard he was in the forefront of esper research, so we eventually met. You must imagine how he reacted when he found out I am a pure devil and an esper."
Liliana giggles with a sense of nostalgia in her voice
"Yeah, I can definitely imagine..."
Ayumu on the other hand gives a somber answer while looking down, it's clear she's not nearly as fond of Kusuke-san as Liliana is.
"Well, in the end he couldn't find out what or why I am like this but he did managed to create the limiters for me, so we struck up a deal where I provided him magical technology and he made some arrangements for me. That's how I met Aiura and Kusuo too."
Aiura nods along, with the first honest smile I've seen on her face since we arrived.
But just then a dark expression appears on Liliana's face
"I guess in the end we did find out why, huh? It just wasn't anything I expected..."
She says while looking down.
The deal her father apparently struck with the Crimson King. The reason why Liliana is the only pure devil esper to ever exist. And the reason why her father was apparently so distant towards her...
Just as I'm about to take Liliana's hand, Aiura reaches out and comforts Liliana
"Dear, I don't know your family, I don't know why your father may have done what he did. I know that parents sometimes do things that we aren't proud of for the sake of our kids, but..."
She stops and squeezes Liliana's shoulder before continuing
"By what you've told me over the years your father is a real piece of work, I don't know why he may have done this, but there's no excuse for he treated you. So when you go over there and talk to the guy give him a piece of my mind as well!"
She playfully tells Liliana, who smiles again.
"Thank you, Aiura"
I feel a poke on the side of my body, I look back and see Ayumu has poken
"What?" - I whisper to her
She motions with her eyes towards Liliana
"Comfort her, idiot!" - She mouths
"I was going to" - I mouth back, it's not lie, I just got distracted by Aiura's remark
I reach out and take Liliana's hand on mine
"And we'll be there too. We're all here for you, Liliana"
She looks back at me with eyes filled with held back tears.
"Tatseyo, Ayumu..."
She motions closer to me and hugs me, tightly
"Thank you!"
"Oh!"
I'm taken by surprise at the sudden display of affection right in front of Aiura-san
"I-it's okay."
I hug Liliana back, running my hands through her hair
"We'll get through this, whatever it is..."
I kiss Liliana's forehead, momentarily forgetting where we were in the midst of trying to comfort her.
"Oh my, and Ayumu-chan was saying we were close?"
Aiura remarks sarcastically and I'm pulled back to reality by her
"A-ah! Yeah, w-we..."
I look back at Liliana, who was still holding into me, looking for what I should answer
Should I tell her Aiura-san about our relationship? The three of us?
I mean, I just confessed, should we?
"Oh, that's right..."
Liliana smiles while wipping a tear from her cheek
"Tatseyo, Ayumu and I are dating now! We're Tatseyo's girlfriends now!"
She says with a radiant smile
I immediately turn my focus with wide eyes towards Aiura-san and I can feel Ayumu doing the same by my side
Aiura-san opens and closes her mouth a few times, her brow furrowed for a moment, but after a few moments, her expression softens and she leaves out a genuine chuckle
"Hahaha! Honestly, young ones, I didn't expect it to turn like this and I can see the future."
Aiura's expression and mood seems to have significantly improved due to our conversation with her laughing outloud with a hand in front of her mouth.
"But I'm happy for you Liliana and for you too, Ayumu-chan"
"A-ah, thank you."
Ayumu replies with hesitation.
"And for you..."
Aiura's eyes then fall on me, a strange glimmer in her eyes
"Lucky boy, huh?"
I feel a knot in my stomach as Liliana giggles and Ayumu gives an awkward laugh
"A-ah yes... I am... very lucky to have both of them... in my life, I mean."
I say, desperately trying to think of something
Aiura-san laughs again
"Geez, no need to be so nervous, this is not an interview. I just hope you can take care of both of them, Liliana might not be my daughter, but I love her just as much."
"Aiura... thank you..." - Liliana answers while looking speechless at Aiura-san
"Don't mention it girl, you know you are pratically part of the family."
She says, tapping Liliana on the shoulder and then looking towards us
"And Ayumu-chan looks like a lovely lady as well."
She says with a wink and Ayumu's face reddens as she looks away
"T-thanks, Tatseyo is... really good to me." - Ayumu says in a cute meek manner
Damn, I really love this girl too...
Just as I'm thinking about such innapropriate stuff for the moment, I hear Aiura-san chuckle
"You three, thank you, ever since my Kusuo has gone missing I haven't been able to smile like this. Thanks for getting my mind off things, even if it's just for a while..."
She declares while the mood in the room feels much lighter than when Kusuke left
"Well, I think I'll brew some tea for us while we wait. You all good with that?"
We all agree, I'm not the biggest fan of tea, but now it sounded like a really bad time to bring it up, so I just shut up and accepted it.
We spent the next few minutes talking amongst ourselves, Liliana giving the embarassing details of my confession to Aiura while trying to take her mind away from the dreadful situation that was currently happening.
Aiura had just finished brewing the tea and set it on the table when a burst of light appeared in the room and a moment later a human figure materialized itself
It was... Kusuke-san?
I mean, I expect it to be Kusuke-san, but whoever showed up was carrying so many things that I couldn't really tell who it was carrying all of it.
There were several boxes being held in his hands, all looked like they were packed to the brim as he placed them on the table.
"Alright! I finally managed to gather everything! You guys can take it, I've already made copies of it all."
"W-what is this?"
Liliana stands up and walks over to the boxes
"Pretty much everything relevant I have on Kuriko's archeological exploits. Maps, news articles, papers and the works, if there's something in there related to this Crimson King, it's definitely here."
I stand up as well, already feeling overwhelmed just by the sheer volume of things stacked in those boxes
"H-how are we supposed to figure out what's important and what's not?"
Kusuke-san raises a finger
"Oh, don't worry, like I said, this is all the relevant stuff. If I were to bring the irrelevant details there'd be way more boxes in here."
My eyes go wide and I hear Ayumu retort as she looks through the stuff as well
"Aghh! It's too much! Can't you at least give us some guidance on where we should start?! We're not super geniuses like you!"
"Y-yeah, Kusuke-san, there's way too much stuff here. I'd take us weeks to figure it out."
Kusuke then places a hand under his chin as if he's thinking
"Alrigh then! I think I got it!"
He moves through the boxes and pulls out a rough looking image of a slab of stone
"These are writtings that she found in a cave in South America, one of her first discoveries, it intrigued a lot of archeologists since it seems to be some form of pagan ritual to a deity they never seen depicted before. Care to tell me what's intriguing about it?"
I look at the depiction that portrays a rough drawing of several small humanoid figures bowing to a larger creature, it seems really old, but one thing is still clear.
"Red"
I answer simply.
The larger creature that the smaller ones were worshipping was painted red, different from all the others.
Kusuke smiles at my answer
"Exactly. While red cave paintings aren't anything new, this one is surprising because of one thing: Only the deity is painted red. Our long time ancestors couldn't exactly be picky about what they used to paint, so the fact that they were careful to depict their deity in a color and no one else in the same way shows that they were up to something. And check the others out."
I look through the other drawings and they seem to be portraying people lifting heavy things above their heads without touching them. Fights against beasts several times their size with only one humanoid going against it.
"This is..." - Ayumu mutters
Kusuke nods and replies
"Yes, I wasn't sure at the time, many cave paintings portrayed supernatural events, religions and superstitions are as old as humanity after all. But the combination of the red creature, these paintings and this being Kuriko's first discovery? That can't be a coincidence."
He puts the pictures back in the box and hands it to us
"You want some guidance? Then start by going through this."
We take the boxes and Kusuke waves his hand as he seems to be preparing to leave.
"Don't worry, I'll be looking all over it as well, with the information you gave I'm bound to have a new perspective on it. But since you lot were the ones to have first hand experience, perhaps you'll see something I don't."
And with those words he left us to our own devices. With a lot of things on our heads and unaswered questions.
I took the picture with the ancient portrayal of the Crimson King on it and in the back of my mind I could hear a guttural disgusting laughter.
Afterword: Happy new year! I'm sorry this chapter took so long, but we'll get back to the main story and towards meeting with Liliana's parents! Thank you for reading!